This invention relates to household refrigerators and is more particularly concerned with a combination refrigerator, that is, a refrigerator including a freezer compartment on top and a fresh food compartment below, both of which are cooled by circulating air from the two compartments over a single evaporator employing a single fan to accomplish the circulation. This invention relates to an air flow control assembly for controlling the circulation of air to a storage container, such as a meat pan, in the fresh food compartment of the refrigerator.
Combination refrigerators, including a single evaporator and a single fan for circulating air from the freezer and fresh food compartments over the evaporator are well known. In the operation of such refrigerators, a major portion of the refrigerated air from the evaporator is directed into the freezer compartment while a smaller portion is directed into the fresh food compartment. In addition, it is well known to direct a portion of the cold air flowing into the fresh food compartment downwardly through a air duct to and around a storage container or pan, thus maintaining the interior of the pan at a slightly lower temperature than other portions of the fresh food compartment. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,656,314; 3,126,721; 3,473,345 and 3,108,455. These pans are particularly useful for the preservation of fresh foods, such as fruit, vegetables and meat, so that they may be stored at temperatures somewhat below those of other stored foods.
It is desirable, however, that such pans have the temperature adjustable or controllable to provide the desired temperature inside the pan regardless of varying conditions that act on the refrigerating system. Such things as the degree of cooling, that is, the temperature of the air as it leaves the evaporator, often depend upon different ambient temperature conditions. For instance, when greater heat leakage occurs under high ambient temperature conditions, such as in the Summer, it often is necessary to provide for a greater circulation of the refrigerated air down to the pan to keep the inside at a proper temperature. Moreover, it is highly desirable to also control the temperature inside the pan, depending upon the type of food to be stored therein. In particular, when the pan is used for meat storage, the temperature should be lower than if the pan is used for fruits and vegetables. See, for example, U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,600,905 and 3,364,694, wherein there is shown two different arrangements for controlling the quantity of cold air flowing around the storage pan.
By our invention, there is provided an air flow control assembly whereby the user of the refrigerator may adjust the amount of cold air flowing around the pan and thus control the interior temperature of the pan.